0610-20 NY Times Crossword 10 Jun 20, Wednesday

Constructed by: Amanda Rafkin & Ross Trudeau
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Avengers Assemble!

Themed answers each include the name of an AVENGER superhero as a hidden word:

  • 62A Classic comics rallying cry … or a hint to 18-, 30- and 49-Across : AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!
  • 18A Second-in-charge, as at a restaurant : ASSISTANT MANAGER (hiding “ANT-MAN”)
  • 30A Boundary marking the limits of a black hole : EVENT HORIZON (hiding “THOR”)
  • 49A Toss the pigskin perfectly : THROW A SPIRAL (hiding “WASP”)

… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 8m 55s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

16 Dubliner’s land : EIRE

The city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is known as “Baile Átha Cliath” in Irish (“town of the hurdled ford”). The English name “Dublin” is an anglicized form of the older Irish name for the city “Dubh Linn”, meaning “black pool”.

17 Dog in “Finding Neverland” : NANA

In J.M. Barrie’s play and novel about Peter Pan, Peter takes Wendy Darling and her two brothers on adventures on the island of Neverland. Back in the real world, the Darling children are taken care of by a nanny, a Newfoundland dog called Nana. It is Nana who takes Peter Pan’s shadow away from him as he tries to escape from the Darling house one night.

18 Second-in-charge, as at a restaurant : ASSISTANT MANAGER (hiding “ANT-MAN”)

In the Marvel universe, Ant-Man has been the superhero persona of three different fictional characters: Hank Pym, Scott Lang and Eric O’Grady. In the 2015 film “Ant-Man”, Michael Douglas plays Hank Pym, and Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang.

21 “The ___ Erwin Show” (1950s sitcom) : STU

Stu Erwin played the title role of Joe Palooka in the 1934 movie “Palooka”, but the film’s star was the great Jimmy Durante. In fact, the movie was released in the UK as “The Great Schnozzle”.

22 Watson of “Beauty and the Beast” : EMMA

Emma Watson is the English actress famous for playing Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” series of movies. Watson continued her education while pursuing her acting career and studied at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Disney’s 2017 romantic fantasy film “Beauty and the Beast” is based on the animated movie the same studio released in 1991. In turn, 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast” was an adaptation of the 18th-century version of the fairy tale “La Belle et la Bête” written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens play the title roles in the 2017 film, with both performances garnering critical acclaim.

23 Revered emblem : TOTEM

“Totem” is a word used to describe any entity that watches over a group of people. As such, totems are usually the subjects of worship. Totem poles are really misnamed, as they are not intended to represent figures to be worshiped, but rather are heraldic in nature often celebrating the legends or notable events in the history of a tribe.

26 California setting for “Hannah Montana” : MALIBU

Malibu is a beach city in Southern California that is known as home to many Hollywood movie stars. It is also home to several beaches including Malibu Surfrider Beach, which was dedicated in 2010 as the first World Surfing Reserve.

Miley Cyrus became famous playing the Disney Channel character “Hannah Montana”. Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. When she was born, Billy Ray and his wife named their daughter “Destiny Hope”, but soon they themselves calling her “Smiley” as she was always smiling as a baby, and this got shortened to Miley over time. Cute …

28 End of a proof, for short : QED

The initialism “QED” is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. QED stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

30 Boundary marking the limits of a black hole : EVENT HORIZON (hiding “THOR”)

A black hole in space is a region that is extremely dense and one that has an enormous gravitational field. The force of gravity is so great that not even light can escape, so all that can be observed is “blackness”, which gives the phenomenon the name of “black hole”. It is believed that black holes form when large stars reach the end of their lives and collapse in upon themselves.

33 Salt Lake City collegian : UTE

The Utah Utes are the athletic teams of the University of Utah.

34 Tuna type : AHI

Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually marketed as “ahi”, the Hawaiian name. They are both big fish, with yellowfish tuna often weighing over 300 pounds, and bigeye tuna getting up to 400 pounds.

35 Fort ___ (gold depository) : KNOX

Fort Knox is actually a US Army base, but it lends its name to the adjacent facility that is more correctly called the United States Bullion Depository. Most of the US gold reserves are in “Fort Knox”, although it isn’t the biggest gold repository in the US. That honor goes to the vault under the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in Manhattan. Most of the gold stored in the New York vault belongs to foreign nations and banks.

36 Carpe ___ (seize the day) : DIEM

“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.

37 Director of the horror films “Cabin Fever” and “Hostel” : ELI ROTH

Eli Roth is one of a group of directors of horror movies known quite graphically as “The Splat Pack”. I can’t stand “splat” movies and avoid them as best I can. Roth is also famous for playing Donny Donowitz in the Quentin Tarantino movie “Inglourious Basterds”, a good film I thought, if you close your eyes during the gruesome bits.

43 Miner’s big find : LODE

A lode is a metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure. The mother lode is the principal deposit in a mine, usually of gold or silver. “Mother lode” is probably a translation of “veta madre”, an expression used in mining in Mexico.

44 President who was formerly Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary of war : TAFT

William Howard Taft may have been the 27th President of the United States, but his lifelong ambition was to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. President Taft was able to realize that dream in 1921, eight years after losing his bid for re-election as president. As Chief Justice, this former US President swore in two new presidents: Calvin Coolidge (in 1925) and Herbert Hoover (in 1929). William Howard Taft is also remembered as the most obese president. In the last year of his presidency, he weighed about 340 pounds (he was 5 feet 11 inches tall). Twelve months after leaving the White House, President Taft had dropped 80 pounds and substantially lowered his blood pressure.

President Theodore Roosevelt left office in March 1909, and a few days later headed off on an African safari. If you’d like a firsthand account of Roosevelt’s adventures on the trip, you can read “African Game Trails” written by the President after he returned to the US.

48 Texter’s guffaw : LOL

Laugh out loud (LOL)

“Guffaw”, meaning “boisterous laugh”, is an imitative word that is Scottish in origin.

49 Toss the pigskin perfectly : THROW A SPIRAL (hiding “WASP”)

“Pigskin” is a slang term for the ball used in American football, even though it’s made from cow leather.

The not-so-nice acronym “WASP” stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. The term is used for Americans with a relatively high position in society, and who are usually of British descent.

54 Offshoot of punk : EMO

The emo musical genre originated in Washington D.C. in the 80s, and takes its name from “emotional hardcore”. “Emo” is also the name given to the associated subculture. Not my cup of tea …

57 Like pistachios and lemons : OVOID

The pistachio is a small tree that produces some very tasty seeds. We see the seeds in grocery stores labelled as “nuts”, but botanically they are termed “drupes”. Drupe or nut, they’re delicious.

59 Peace Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE

Elie Wiesel was a holocaust survivor, and is best known for his book “Night” that tells of his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He was also the first recipient of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Award, which was later renamed the Elie Wiesel Award in his honor.

61 19-Down for an air gun : BBS

A BB gun is an air pistol or rifle that shoots birdshot known as BBs. Birdshot comes in a number of different sizes, from size 9 (0.070″ in diameter) to size FF (.230″). Birdshot that is size BB (0.180″ in diameter) gives the airgun its name.

62 Classic comics rallying cry … or a hint to 18-, 30- and 49-Across : AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

The Avengers are a team of superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original lineup, which dates back to 1963, consisted of Ant-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and the Wasp. Soon after their formation, the Avengers rescued Captain America trapped in ice, and thereafter he joined the team. There is a 2012 movie called “The Avengers” that features Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and Thor.

67 Joel or Ethan of the film world : COEN

I think it’s great to see two brothers working together and being so successful. Joel and Ethan Coen are two movie producers and directors who both live in New York City. The Coen brothers do love the movie-making business and they even married industry “insiders”. Ethan’s wife is film editor Tricia Cooke, and Joel is married to one of my favorite actresses, the talented Frances McDormand.’

68 Jail, in slang : COOLER

The cooler, the pen, the joint, the slammer, the can … the prison.

Down

2 Holst who composed “The Planets” : GUSTAV

Despite the Scandinavian-sounding name, Gustav Holst was born in Britain and was the most English of classical composers. His most famous work is the orchestral suite known as ‘The Planets”. The suite has seven movements, one for each of the planets known at the time (1914-1916) except Earth. Pluto was discovered during Holst’s lifetime, but decades after he had completed his masterpiece. Anyway, Pluto was relegated from the league of planets …

4 Hula hoop? : LEI

“Lei” is a Hawaiian word meaning “garland, wreath”, although in more general terms a lei is any series of objects strung together as an adornment for the body.

The hula is a native dance of Hawaii that uses arm movements to relate a story. The hula can be performed while sitting (a noho dance) or while standing (a luna dance).

5 Triage sites, for short : ERS

Triage is the process of prioritizing patients for treatment, especially on the battlefield. The term “triage” is French and means “sorting”.

6 Monarchy for over a thousand years : DENMARK

The constitutional monarchy of Denmark consists of not only the country of Denmark, but also the autonomous constituent countries of the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

7 Treatment for A.D.H.D. : RITALIN

Ritalin is a trade name for the drug methylphenidate that is used for treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy. Methylphenidate has a similar structure and similar properties to the drug cocaine, although it is less potent.

The “official” name for the condition we sometimes still refer to as “attention deficit disorder” (ADD) is “attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD).

8 Partner of Hammer in the supermarket : ARM

The Arm & Hammer brand, particularly associated with baking soda and washing soda, has been around since the 1860s. The famous Arm & Hammer logo represents the Roman god Vulcan.

9 Vocal percussionists : BEATBOXERS

Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion in which a performer primarily mics a drum machine. Today, beatboxing is largely associated with hip-hop music, although similar forms of vocal percussion have been around for a while. Actor Gert Fröbe, famous for playing Bond villain Auric Goldfinger, did some pseudo-beatboxing in the 1965 movie “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines”.

10 One creating a little buzz at an outdoor party : GNAT

Gnats are attracted to the smell of rotting food, and vinegar. Simple homemade traps that use vinegar are often constructed to attract and kill gnats.

15 Part of an office bldg. address : STE

Suite (ste.)

19 See 61-Across : AMMO
(61A 19-Down for an air gun : BBS)

The word “munitions” describes materials and equipment used in war. The term derives from the Latin “munitionem” meaning “fortification, defensive wall”. Back in the 17th century, French soldiers referred to such materials as “la munition”, a Middle French term. This was misheard as “l’ammunition”, and as a result we ended up importing the word “ammunition” (often shortened to “ammo”), a term that we now use mainly to describe the material fired from a weapon.

27 Preppy clothing brand : IZOD

Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England, producing shirts for King George V as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.

29 Prefix with god or john : DEMI-

In Greek mythology, a demigod was a half-god, the offspring of one parent who was a god and one parent who was human. The list of demigods includes the Greek hero Heracles and the Celtic hero Cú Chulainn.

A carboy (also “demijohn”) is a large container for liquids, one usually with a capacity of 5 to 15 gallons. Glass and plastic carboys are often used at home for the fermentation of beer and wine.

36 Jeans material : DENIM

Denim fabric originated in Nimes in France. The French phrase “de Nimes” (meaning “from Nimes”) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (meaning “blue of Genoa”) gives us our word “jeans”.

49 Subject in which sin is an important topic? : TRIG

The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent (abbreviated to “sin, cos and tan”). Each of these is a ratio: a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are cosecant, secant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent.

58 White bills in Monopoly : ONES

Players of the board game Monopoly are familiar with the accompanying sets of Chance and Community Chest cards. The original version of the game came with just the Chance cards, and those cards came with quotes attributed to Thomas Jefferson, John Ruskin and Andrew Carnegie.

60 Key to get out? : ESC

The escape key (Esc) was originally used to control computer peripherals. It was a key that allowed the computer operator to stop what the peripheral was doing (cancel a print job, for example). Nowadays the escape key is used for all sorts of things, especially in gaming programs.

62 Tinder or Venmo : APP

Tinder is a matchmaking app that uses Facebook profiles. Users “swipe” photos of potential matches, either to the right (“like”) or to the left (“not interested”). Users who “match” each other can then chat within the app.

Venmo is a smartphone payment app that is now owned by PayPal. The first version of the product was introduced in 2009 by two entrepreneurs who had met as freshman students at the University of Pennsylvania. They sold the company in 2012 for over $26 million, and then PayPal acquired it the following year for a whopping $800 million. I wonder if PayPal ever buys blogs …

63 Harry Potter’s best friend : RON

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are the principal characters in the “Harry Potter” series of fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling. The three are the best of friends. As the stories progress, the friendship between Ron and Hermione developed to the point that they became husband and wife and had two children together.

65 A Stooge : MOE

If you’ve seen a few of the films starring “The Three Stooges” you might have noticed that the line-up changed over the years. The original trio was made up of Moe and Shemp Howard (two brothers) and Larry Fine (a good friend of the Howards). This line up was usually known as “Moe, Larry and Shemp”. Then Curly Howard replaced his brother when Shemp quit the act, creating the most famous trio, “Moe, Larry And Curly”. Shemp returned when Curly had a debilitating stroke in 1946. Shemp stayed with the troupe until he himself died in 1955. Shemp was replaced by Joe Besser, and then “Curly-Joe” DeRita. When Larry Fine suffered a stroke in 1970, it effectively marked the end of the act.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Spry : AGILE
6 Gray, say : DRAB
10 Raise on a farm : GROW
14 Parts of radios : TUNERS
16 Dubliner’s land : EIRE
17 Dog in “Finding Neverland” : NANA
18 Second-in-charge, as at a restaurant : ASSISTANT MANAGER (hiding “ANT-MAN”)
21 “The ___ Erwin Show” (1950s sitcom) : STU
22 Watson of “Beauty and the Beast” : EMMA
23 Revered emblem : TOTEM
24 Blackens with goo : TARS
26 California setting for “Hannah Montana” : MALIBU
28 End of a proof, for short : QED
30 Boundary marking the limits of a black hole : EVENT HORIZON (hiding “THOR”)
33 Salt Lake City collegian : UTE
34 Tuna type : AHI
35 Fort ___ (gold depository) : KNOX
36 Carpe ___ (seize the day) : DIEM
37 Director of the horror films “Cabin Fever” and “Hostel” : ELI ROTH
41 Comedian Martin : DEMETRI
43 Miner’s big find : LODE
44 President who was formerly Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary of war : TAFT
47 Campaigned : RAN
48 Texter’s guffaw : LOL
49 Toss the pigskin perfectly : THROW A SPIRAL (hiding “WASP”)
54 Offshoot of punk : EMO
55 Knockoffs, informally : REPROS
56 Baby’s first word, maybe : MAMA
57 Like pistachios and lemons : OVOID
59 Peace Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE
61 19-Down for an air gun : BBS
62 Classic comics rallying cry … or a hint to 18-, 30- and 49-Across : AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!
66 Politician Buttigieg : PETE
67 Joel or Ethan of the film world : COEN
68 Jail, in slang : COOLER
69 “Leave it to the ___” : PROS
70 It bends when you sit : KNEE
71 Must have : NEEDS

Down

1 One little bite : A TASTE
2 Holst who composed “The Planets” : GUSTAV
3 Cover, as a car : INSURE
4 Hula hoop? : LEI
5 Triage sites, for short : ERS
6 Monarchy for over a thousand years : DENMARK
7 Treatment for A.D.H.D. : RITALIN
8 Partner of Hammer in the supermarket : ARM
9 Vocal percussionists : BEATBOXERS
10 One creating a little buzz at an outdoor party : GNAT
11 Angrily abandon a video game : RAGEQUIT
12 Approximately 39 inches : ONE METER
13 “The most successful ___ seldom pays for its losses”: Thomas Jefferson : WAR
15 Part of an office bldg. address : STE
19 See 61-Across : AMMO
20 Follower of “the,” often : … NOUN
25 Trap : SNARE
27 Preppy clothing brand : IZOD
29 Prefix with god or john : DEMI-
31 However, in brief : THO’
32 Rise from bed … or drop to one’s stomach : HIT THE DECK
36 Jeans material : DENIM
37 Her, to Henri : ELLE
38 Affect in a distant, menacing way : LOOM OVER
39 “Sure, my pleasure!” : I’D LOVE TO!
40 Instrument with a soundbox : HARP
42 Election night graphic : MAP
45 Anticipate : FORESEE
46 Like most roads : TWO-LANE
49 Subject in which sin is an important topic? : TRIG
50 It means “no returns allowed” : AS IS
51 Group wielding pitchforks, say : RABBLE
52 Strolled : AMBLED
53 Things shooting from a sci-fi monster’s eyes : LASERS
58 White bills in Monopoly : ONES
60 Key to get out? : ESC
62 Tinder or Venmo : APP
63 Harry Potter’s best friend : RON
64 Long stretch : EON
65 A Stooge : MOE